China Reports First Death From H1N1 Flu

China on Tuesday reported its first death from the H1N1 flu strain after weeks on alert against the disease.

The victim, who died on Sunday, was an 18-year-old woman from the Tibetan autonomous region, who had been admitted to hospital the previous day complaining of a sore throat, cough and aches, the official Xinhua agency said.

The Health Ministry confirmed the death, but declined to comment further.

The government has reported the death to the World Health Organisation and is now rushing 200,000 doses of vaccine to remote areas, state media said.